2011

As you all have noted, American public image overseas has been severely damaged because of this fiasco.  It is absolutely critical to share your experience with the public and shape the court of public opinion in your home countries.   Thank you to those who have created and posted videos.  Here are a few links: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JK_23uMN0d0&feature=related http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gihogZrd8sw&feature=related http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xp-pAVUu5D4&feature=related    

Thank you to all of you, including a Mathematics Ph.D., who have educated me on the randomness issue.  My initial reaction that the results were not random was based on the unusual skewing of the results and the possibility that the results were manipulated, warranting further investigation.  I now see that while the results were not uniform, they are random. Here is my own simplistic 2 step analysis: 1. Mathematically speaking, these results certainly could have have occurred naturally.  As such, the results are random. 2. Even if the results did not occur naturally because of a “computer glitch”, the results are still random because no one in advance knew how to increase one’s chances. Thus there was a level playing field.  Example: Lotto – 6 numbers drawn 1-40. Computer glitch causes a drawing in which the 6 numbers drawn are 1-6.  But no one knew about it in advance.  It would seem…

Armande has passed on a link to her interview on Univision: http://noticias.univision.com/inmigracion/videos/video/2011-05-22/loteria-de-visas-afectada-por Also, notable in the video is the appearance of a DOS official, defending the invalidation. Thank you, Armande, for getting the word out!

We will be posting our latest correspondence to the Department of State on this blog later today.  Stay tuned.

Thank you to those who completed the questionnaires.  I am truly overwhelmed by the response.   Your backgrounds are very, very impressive and your stories are heartwrenching.   America truly needs people like you! To those who have completed the questionnaire and authorized distribution to the Department of State – I will be sure to pass on to officials the relevant details.  Besides the devastation experienced by many of you, it is obvious that hundreds of thousands in dollars in expense were incurred.  Life changing plans were made – one person got married upon learning of selection; one person quit his job in India to move back to Africa in preparation; one person sold his car; another gave up his apartment.  Hopefully, the Department of State will recognize these very real human tragedies and act prudently in rectifying this travesty. I urge you to tell your compelling stories to the…

A national media outlet is seeking comment from DV-2012 winners. If anyone is willing to speak to the media about this situation, please contact me directly at white@bridgewest.com  Please indicate Media in the subject line. In your e-mail please indicate your name, telephone number, and location (city/country) .  Thank you.

For those unable to open the questionnaire, please find two other versions below: .doc and pdf. If completed by hand, please make sure that the handwriting is legible. Thank you! questionnairedv2012doc questionnairedv2012pdf0001

In response to my earlier post, completed questionnaires are starting to flow in. Thank you. I would like to allay any concerns out there about the use of information contained in questionnaires: 1. Completion of the questionnaire is entirely voluntary. Any possible resolution to the issue at hand will most likely relate to the entire class of 22,000, not just those who fill in this questionnaire.  Obviously, I am not making any representations that completing the questionnaire will somehow help you.  Nevertheless, I do believe that collecting and synthesizing information will be important going forward. 2. One of the questions in the questionnaire relates to privacy.  If you do not wish your name disclosed to the Department of State, you would indicate “No” in response. 3. We are a team of professionals. We have been battling erroneous and misguided decisions of consular officers and DOS officials for nearly 20 years….

Thank you all for your words of encouragement and support!  We greatly appreciate it. To pursue the compromise solution proposed in my May 17, 2011 letter to Mr. Donahue at the Department of State, I believe it appropriate to gather more detailed information about the individuals who were winners.  This additional data about the winners – who already filed with the Kentucky Consular Center?  countries affected? etc… – will be critical going forward as all possible remedies are discussed and explored. If you are a winner, please complete the questionnaire at this link questionnairedv2012 and return it to me by e-mail at white@bridgewest.com with the word Lottery 2012 in the subject line.  Thank you in advance for your cooperation. May common sense and justice prevail.  

The Department of State’s invalidation of the DV-2012 results has left 22,000 winners distraught.  And they have a right to be – they did nothing wrong, started to act on their winning notifications, and now have had the carpet pulled out from underneath them. Why can’t the Department allow those winners to remain and conduct a new drawing on July 15 for 78,000-100,000 additional selectee slots?  This is the topic of my letter to the Deputy Assistant Secretary of State for Visa Services, David Donahue:  donahuefinal1        

In an unprecedented decision, the Department of State has invalidated the DV-2012 Lottery results.  Here is the official announcement: http://dvlottery.state.gov/ The Assistant Secretary of State for Visa Services confirmed what was pointed out in earlier blogs and our letter to the Visa Office – that the Lottery was not random because the overwhelming majority (90%) selected were those who submitted entries on October 5th and 6th, thereby violating one of the requirements of the Lottery. As a result, a new Lottery will be conducted, with all entries submitted during the October 5-November 3 timeframe being eligible.  Unfortunately, for those who “won” – they are no longer winners.  However, they will have another chance to be selected. The winners will be announced on or about July 15, 2011. Stay tuned…      

As pointed out in our previous blog entry, the overwhelming majority of winners in the DV-2012 Lottery were those who submitted entries on October 5 and 6th. We have seen two surveys confirming this: 1. in which 74% of the winners (sampling of 957) submitted entries on October 5th and 6th – http://www.govorimpro.us/showthread.php?t=28753&page=5 (Russian language) 2. in which 82% of the winners (sampling of 153) submitted entries on October 5th and 6th.  http://www.ulitka.com/%D0%9D%D0%B5%D1%81%D0%BE%D1%80%D1%82%D0%B8%D1%80%D0%BE%D0%B2%D0%B0%D0%BD%D0%BD%D0%BE%D0%B5/%D0%97%D0%B0%D0%B2%D0%B8%D1%81%D0%B8%D0%BC%D0%BE%D1%81%D1%82%D1%8C_%D0%B2%D1%8B%D0%B8%D0%B3%D1%80%D1%8B%D1%88%D0%B0_%D0%BE%D1%82_%D0%B4%D0%B0%D1%82%D1%8B_%D0%BF%D0%BE%D0%B4%D0%B0%D1%87%D0%B8_%D0%B7%D0%B0%D1%8F%D0%B2%D0%BA%D0%B8_dv-2012_a-50985.html (Russian language) Also of interest is the statistic from these surveys that if one submitted an entry on those dates, the chances of winning were more than 50%.  In general, the chances of being selected are 1-2%. We renew our call for the Department of State to investigate this “non-random” Lottery.

The day that millions of people waited for the world over ended in … scandal.  On May 1 DV-2012 Lottery participants learned their fate: whether their entries were selected, or were being told “better luck next year (if there is a Lottery next year).”  But what the losing participants did not count on was that the overwhelming majority of winners were those who submitted their entries on October 5 and 6, 2010, the first two days of the DV-2012 Lottery.  For DV-2012, the “early birds” did get the proverbial worm – the right to pursue immigrant visa applications at US consular posts abroad or adjust status to permanent resident if lawfully located in the United States. As a reminder, the Department of State accepted DV-2012 entries from October 5 until November 3, 2010.  DOS encouraged applicants not to wait “until the last week” to submit their entries in order to…

We’ve all seen the commercials with stunt cars and daredevil tricks, and the disclaimer at the bottom stating “Professionals at work. Do not try this on your own.”  That is why it is surprising that people with the means to hire a qualified lawyer to prepare a waiver application often do not do so: they are determined to try it on their own. The stakes could not be higher – an approval means a reunion in the United States for those located overseas, a denial can mean a lifetime of separation and the shattered lives of children – yet people are willing to learn as they go, to “experiment” on their own, to use whatever it is they can learn on the Internet to prepare their cases.  Waiver law is complicated, and preparing a waiver application requires skill, creativity, and experience. Even if a 601 or 212 application is denied,…